New Mexico Electrician License Requirements (2026)

New Mexico separates the individual journeyman credential from the electrical-contractor business license. The full residential-and-commercial journeyman certificate is EE-98J; it requires four years of experience and three PSI examinations. An EE-98 business contractor license must have a certified qualifying party, pass the contractor examinations and Business and Law requirement, and maintain the CID code bond. An EE-98 contractor does not eliminate the requirement that electrical work be performed by, or under the supervision of, an appropriately certified journeyman.

Regulatory Body

New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department — Construction Industries Division (CID) is the statutory authority responsible for issuing and enforcing this license under NMSA 1978 Chapter 60 Article 13 (Construction Industries Licensing Act); NMAC Title 14 Chapter 6. CID licenses construction contractors and tradespeople statewide through its General Construction Bureau, Electrical Bureau, and Mechanical Bureau, enforces adopted building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical codes, and conducts inspections and disciplinary proceedings.

Official portal: https://www.rld.nm.gov/construction/
Address: 2550 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Phone: (505) 476-4700

Eligibility Requirements

This guide does not establish a minimum applicant age; confirm any age requirement with the issuing authority. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. CID’s current journeyman materials do not state a New Mexico residency requirement.

Good moral character

CID may deny or renew a certificate based on listed disqualifying felony convictions or relevant conduct under the Construction Industries Licensing Act and its rules; mitigation or rehabilitation information may be submitted for reconsideration.

Background investigation

The current journeyman application asks about licensing history, judgments, complaints, and listed disqualifying felonies. CID’s standard materials do not list a routine fingerprint submission for the EE-98J certificate.

Experience and Education

The experience bar is four years (8,000 hours) of electrical experience for EE-98J, documented within the 10 years immediately before application; the EE-98 contractor qualifying party has the same four-year requirement, and it must be backed by verifiable records — typically payroll, tax, project, or supervisor documentation covering the claimed period.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

CID/PSI Journeyman Certificate Application (EE-98J)
Electrical Work Verification affidavit for each employer, verifier, license, or time period
Supporting proof of the verifier’s position or license, and an out-of-state verifier’s current license where applicable

Education substitution

CID/PSI may credit accredited technical training at one-half year of experience for each year of training, up to one-half of the total experience requirement. Submit official transcripts with the verification packet.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: PSI Services LLC (under contract to CID). The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

EE-98J Part 1 Code Examination — 50 questions, 145 minutes, passing score 75%
EE-98J Part 2 Theory Examination — 50 questions, 120 minutes, passing score 75%
EE-98J Residential and Commercial Electrical Practical Examination — 100 questions, 120 minutes, passing score 75%

Examination fee: $68.88 per EE-98J exam part, or $206.64 for the three-part combination. The separate EE-98 contractor exam is $269.06, plus $68.88 for the Business and Law exam if a course is not used.

Retake policy: Applicants must be preapproved. Passing scores remain valid for one year. The same exam may not be taken more than twice in a 30-day period; after two failures, wait 30 days from the first attempt before testing again.

Insurance and Bonds

A $10,000 surety bond, in the form prescribed by the CID, must be posted as a condition of licensure.

General liability

CID’s current contractor application identifies the $10,000 code bond as proof of financial responsibility; it does not state a statewide general-liability minimum. This bond applies to the EE-98 business license, not the individual EE-98J certificate.

Workers' compensation

CID/PSI states that workers’ compensation insurance is required of contractor licensees. A sole proprietor with no employees may be exempt; confirm coverage status with the New Mexico Workers’ Compensation Administration.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$75
Examination	$207
Initial license	$75
Renewal (every 3 years)	$75

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for New Mexico electrician.

Renewal and Continuing Education

The New Mexico EE-98J Journeyman Electrician / EE-98 Electrical Contractor runs on a 3 years renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $75. EE-98J certificates expire on the last day of the month of issuance. The EE-98 contractor business license separately renews every three years and requires the contractor renewal packet and bond coverage.

Continuing education: EE-98J renewal requires 16 hours of CID-approved education, including at least eight hours on the current CID code.

Downloadable Asset

2026 New Mexico Electrician License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

For this classification, New Mexico recognizes the NASCLA Accredited Examination.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
Alaska	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
Arkansas	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
Colorado	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
Idaho	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
Montana	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
Nebraska	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
Oklahoma	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
South Dakota	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
Texas	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.
Wyoming	EE-98J reciprocity	Current, active, good-standing tested credential held for at least one year.

The listed interstate agreements are only for EE-98J journeyman certificates. The EE-98 contractor qualifying-party path may instead seek a CID-approved NASCLA trade-exam waiver; it applies only to EE-98 and GB-98 QPs and does not waive the Business and Law requirement or other licensing requirements.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Electrician license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Electrician Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare New Mexico's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Arizona Electrician License Requirements — Arizona Electrical Contractor (C-11, R-11, or CR-11)
Colorado Electrician License Requirements — Colorado Electrician Licenses and Electrical Contractor Registration
Oklahoma Electrician License Requirements — Oklahoma Journeyman Electrician and Unlimited Electrical Contractor
Texas Electrician License Requirements — Texas Master Electrician License
Utah Electrician License Requirements — Utah Master Electrician and Journeyman Electrician

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Select the correct electrical credential. EE-98J is the full journeyman residential-and-commercial credential. ER-1J is a separate residential-wiring credential with a two-year experience requirement.
Document 8,000 hours for EE-98J. Submit the notarized EE-98J application and Electrical Work Verification affidavit(s). Experience must be in the most recent 10 years.
Obtain PSI testing approval. CID/PSI reviews the application and experience before a candidate can schedule the exams.
Pass the three EE-98J exams. Pass the Code, Theory, and practical exams at 75% or higher. PSI lists the combination fee as $206.64.
Receive and maintain the EE-98J certificate. The certificate is valid for three years. EE-98J renewal requires 16 approved CE hours, including at least eight hours of current CID code instruction.
Add an EE-98 contractor license when contracting as a business. An EE-98 business needs a certified QP, qualifying exams and Business and Law result or course certificate, a $10,000 code bond, tax/entity registrations, and workers’ compensation coverage as applicable.

Application Checklist

Have each of the following squared away before the packet goes to CID:

EE-98J journeyman application with $75 fee
Notarized Electrical Work Verification affidavit(s) documenting four years / 8,000 hours
Supporting verifier-position and license documentation when required
Passing scores for EE-98J Code, Theory, and practical examinations
For EE-98 business contracting: a CID-certified EE-98 qualifying party and Business and Law result or approved course certificate
For EE-98 business contracting: $10,000 CID code bond, New Mexico tax/entity registrations, and workers’ compensation compliance as applicable

Common Filing Mistakes

These are the recurring mistakes that most often delay or reject a New Mexico Electrician application, based on the official instructions cited here.

Insufficient hour documentation

CID/PSI requires experience within the 10 years before application and detailed, notarized verification affidavits.

Applying for ER-1J when EE-98J is needed

ER-1J is residential wiring only. EE-98J is the broader residential-and-commercial journeyman certificate.

Assuming an EE-98 contractor license replaces a journeyman

CID requires electrical work to be performed by, or under the supervision of, a journeyman certified for the work being performed.

Treating contractor NASCLA rules as journeyman reciprocity

NASCLA is a possible EE-98 qualifying-party trade-exam waiver. Interstate reciprocity is limited to the EE-98J journeyman certificate and listed states.

Missing EE-98J continuing education

A renewal or reinstatement must include proof of 16 approved CE hours, at least eight of them current-code instruction.

Study and Reference Materials

These materials are drawn from the regulator's own citations and the references applicants commonly use to prepare. CLR receives no compensation for listing them.

2020 National Electrical Code (NFPA 70) — NFPA. PSI lists it for the EE-98J Code Examination.
2020 New Mexico Electrical Code (NMAC 14.10.4) — State of New Mexico. PSI lists it for the EE-98J Code Examination.
NMSA 1978 Chapter 60 Article 13 and 14.6 NMAC — State of New Mexico. Licensing law and rules.

Other New Mexico Trade Licenses

CLR maintains guides for additional New Mexico trades; the published ones are listed here:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between EE-98J and EE-98?

EE-98J is the individual journeyman residential-and-commercial electrical certificate. EE-98 is the business contractor classification. The contractor license must have a certified qualifying party, but it does not replace the journeyman-supervision requirement for electrical work.

Is ER-1J the standard New Mexico journeyman electrician license?

No. ER-1J is the residential-wiring journeyman certificate and requires two years of experience. EE-98J is the broader residential-and-commercial electrical journeyman certificate and requires four years / 8,000 hours.

How much experience does EE-98J require?

Four years (8,000 hours), documented in the 10 years before application. CID/PSI can credit qualifying technical training, but not for more than half of the experience requirement.

Does New Mexico reciprocate electrician credentials?

Yes, but only for EE-98J. CID lists Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The tested credential must be active, in good standing, and held for at least one year.

How often do electrical licenses renew?

EE-98J expires every three years. Renewal requires 16 hours of approved continuing education, with at least eight hours covering the current CID code; the current fee is $75 per classification.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.